Wildcats continue state-title chase in state semifinals

When the Wildcats went to the Class 6A state tournament during the 2020-21 season, renovations at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex forced the tournament to be played at UAB’s Bartow Arena and the Birmingham Crossplex’s Bill Harris Arena.

“The last time we went, I don’t know that our kids really got the full affect of it because it was so spread out,” Bell said. “This time, we’re going down and were going to watch some other games and enjoy it, players and coaches too.”

The Wildcats left for Birmingham Tuesday morning and practiced at Hewitt-Trussville High School before getting to the BJCC to watch a number of games that afternoon. Call it the relaxation before the beginning of Scottsboro’s ultimate mission.

No. 6-ranked Scottsboro plays No. 8 Valley in a Class 5A State Tournament semifinal contest at Legacy Arena on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $12 and must be purchased online at www.ticketmaster.com/ahsaa-basketball-state-finals-tickets/artist/1828484 — Ticketmaster is the website for state tournament tickets not the GoFan App. WWIC Radio 1050 AM will air the AHSAA’s radio broadcast of the game.

Scottsboro’s roster is comprised of seniors Parker Bell, Tyson Sexton and Seth Whitmire, juniors Jameson Gray, Ethan Roberts, Eli Sparks, Davon Walker, Eli Whitmire and Kyle Wright, sophomores Jake Jones and Tyler Shelton and freshmen Cooper Harding and Lawson Lee. The Scottsboro coaching staff consists of head coach Jason Bell and assistants Derek Borum, Tavaras Tolliver, Caleb Haynes and Tristan Sexton.

Scottsboro (24-8), making its 21st all-time state tournament appearance, advanced to Birmingham thanks to a nail-biting 67-66 win over Class 5A Area 14 rival Guntersville last Wednesday in the Northeast Regional championship game at Jacksonville State.

Valley (31-0) is perfect on the season, reaching the state tournament thanks to a 61-36 victory over Central of Clay County in last week’s Central Regional finals. The Rams are the last remaining undefeated team, girls or boys, in the state. Valley coach Marshon Harper told the Valley-Times News in Lanett that his team is motivated by talk of the Rams not playing a difficult schedule.

“People say we don’t play anybody,” Harper told the Valley-Times News. “We play who’s on our schedule. We played the same teams last year and lost to them. It’s hard to go 31-0. We beat our rival Lanett by 60. They have never heard of that. The kids bought in and deserve their credit.”

Jason Bell said Valley is a strong, athletic team that loves to play fast despite only going six players deep in its regular rotation. Senior 6-foot-3 guard Denali Dooley was the Central MVP after a 17-point, nine-rebound performance against Central of Clay County and a 13-point, seven-round effort in a 72-44 regional semifinal win over Demopolis. Other key players for Valley are 5-foot-10 senior point guard Jamarious Martin and 6-5 junior forward Cam’Ron Dooley — both were the All-Central Regional Tournament Team selections — as well as 6-0 junior guard Jay Harper, 6-6 junior forward Brandon Thomas and reserve 6-0 junior guard Ian Crim-Davis.

“(Valley wants) to push it. They go as fast as any team we’ve played all year,” Bell said. “They’re the best offensive rebounding team we’ve faced all year. For us defensively, we’ve really got to get back in transition and do our best to keep them off the offensive boards because they get a lot of points on putbacks and second chances.”

The game is the second all-time meeting between the teams. The teams previously played during the 1956-57 season, a 77-66 Scottsboro victory.

Scottsboro and Valley unofficially played last summer during AHSAA allowed summer competition days. Scottsboro defeated the Rams in a team camp game at Auburn. 

“That doesn’t mean anything, but we’re at least familiar with them and it should give us some confidence since we came out on the good end against them,” Bell said.

The Scottsboro-Valley winner plays either No. 1 Ramsay or No. 5 Charles Henderson in the Class 5A state championship game on Saturday at 10:45 a.m. 

Scottsboro last played in a state championship game back in 1967, but the Wildcats want to change that this week.

“We’re ecstatic about making the Final Four, but our guys are focused on winning two more games,” Bell said. “Our guys are confident. We’re confident in our guys.”